Sabbath, June 25, 2022

Lesson 26 – His Return in Power and Glory

“The kingdom of Christ in its beginning seemed humble and insignificant…. Yet in the mighty  truths committed  to  His followers the kingdom  of the gospel possessed a divine life. And how rapid was its growth, how widespread its influence! When Christ spoke this parable, there were only a few Galilean peasants to represent the new kingdom…. But the mustard seed was to grow and spread forth its branches throughout the world. When the earthly kingdoms whose glory then filled the hearts of men should perish, the kingdom of Christ would remain, a mighty and far- reaching power.” –God’s Amazing Grace, p. 17.

“Soon the Lord God of heaven will set up His kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.” –This Day with God, p. 198.

1. Who was the Father’s Co- worker in the creation of heaven and earth?

Psalm  102:25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

Hebrews 1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens  are the works of thine hands.

“In the beginning, God was revealed in all the works of creation. It was Christ that spread the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth. It was His hand that hung the worlds in space, and fashioned the flowers of the field. ‘His strength setteth fast the mountains.’ ‘The sea is His, and He made it’ Psalm 65:6; 95:5. It was He that filled the earth with beauty, and the air with song. And upon all things in earth, and air, and sky, He wrote the messages of the Father’s love.” –Lift Him Up, p. 46.

AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND

2. How did the Son of Man carry out His mission on earth–with human or divine support?

Psalms 80:17; 89:21 Let thy hand be   upon  the  man  of  thy  right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong  for  thyself…. 89:21With  whom  my hand shall be established:  mine  arm  also  shall strengthen him.

Acts 2:33, 34; 7:55 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the  promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost, he hath shed forth  this, which ye now see and hear. 34For David is not  ascended  into  the  heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand…. 7:55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God,  and Jesus standing  on  the right hand of God.

“Where many have erred, was in not being careful in following God’s ideas, but their own. Christ Himself declared, ‘The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do.’ John 5:19. So utterly was He emptied of Himself that He made no schemes and plans. He lived accepting God’s plans for Him, and the Father day by day unfolded His plans. If Jesus was so wholly dependent,  and declared, ‘Whatsoever I see the Father do, that I do,’ how much more should human agents depend upon God for constant instruction, so that their lives might be the simple working out of God’s plans!” –In Heavenly Places, p. 147. “Our Saviour Himself, when bearing the test for humanity, acknowledged that of Himself He could do nothing. We also must learn that there is no strength in humanity alone. Man becomes efficient only by becoming partaker of the divine nature.” –Christ Triumphant, p. 410.

3. What high position will the Father give Him?

Psalm 89:27 Also I will make him my firstborn,  higher than the kings of the earth.

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.

“God is revealed  to us in Christ. Our Saviour is the image  of the invisible  God.  Oh, how near to heaven we may be. ‘He that hath seen Me  hath  seen the  Father,’  Christ  declared.” –The Upward Look, p. 142.

“Many  concede  that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world,  but at the same time they hold themselves away from Him, and fail to repent of their sins, fail to accept of Jesus as their personal Saviour. Their faith  is simply the assent of the mind  and judgment to the truth;  but  the  truth  is not  brought into  the  heart,  that  it  might sanctify the soul and transform the character. ‘For whom He did foreknow,  He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might  be the firstborn  among  many brethren.’ Romans 8:29.” –Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 389, 390.

4. What final decisive battle will take place between the King of kings and the rulers of this world?

Psalm 110:5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

Revelation  17:13, 14 These have one mind, and shall give their power  and strength unto the beast.   14These  shall  make  war with  the  Lamb,  and  the  Lamb shall  overcome   them:  for  he  is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

“The battle of Armageddon is soon to be fought. He on whose vesture is written the name, King of kings, and Lord of lords, is soon to lead forth the armies of heaven.” –Testimonies for the Church, p. 406. “The kingdom of God’s grace is now being established, as day by day hearts that have been full of sin and rebellion yield to the sovereignty of His love. But the full establishment of the kingdom of His glory will not take place until the second coming  of Christ to this world. ‘The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven,’ is to be given to ‘the people of the saints of the Most High.’ Daniel 7:27. They shall inherit the kingdom prepared  for them ‘from  the foundation of the world.’  Matthew  25:34. And  Christ will take to Himself His great power and will reign.” –Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 108.

THE ETERNALLY PERMANENT THRONE

5. How will the nature of His kingdom and throne be very different from those of this earth?

Psalm 89:29, 36 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne  as the  days of  heaven…. 36His seed shall endure  for  ever, and his throne  as the sun before me.

Isaiah 9:7 Of  the  increase of  his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of Da- vid, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

“When  man was lost, the Son of God said, I will redeem him, I will become his surety and substitute. He laid aside His royal robes, clothed His divinity with humanity, stepped  down from the royal throne, that He might reach the very depth of human woe and temptation,  lift up our fallen natures, and make it possible for us to be overcomers–the sons of God, the heirs of the eternal kingdom. Shall we then allow any consideration of earth to turn us away from the path of truth? Shall we not challenge every doctrine and theory, and put it to the test of God’s word?” –Review and Herald, July 17, 1888.

6. While everything that is on this earth grows old and disappears, what do the Scriptures say about the kingdom of the Son?

Psalm 102:26, 27 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: 27But thou  art  the  same, and thy  years shall have no end.

Hebrews 1:11, 12 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

“Those who follow in the footsteps of Christ will not be seeking for show and parade. Christ is not there. He that will come after Me let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Without Me, ye can do nothing to my Name’s glory. All this world’s lusts, pleasures, and human power will pass away. Not one jot or tittle  of all the world’s pleasures and its supposed valuable treasures will be taken into the eternal world with any soul. One kind of life is spent in doing the will of God, and that life and labor shall abide forever; for the labor spent in advancing the kingdom of God in this world will carry its results into the future eternal kingdom of God.” –Review and Herald, May 9, 1899.

HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD

7. What is written in the Psalms about His return and His dealing with the world?

Psalm 96:13 Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

Isaiah 11:3, 4 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteous- ness he doth judge and make war.

“The final judgment is a most solemn, awful event. This must take place before the universe. To the Lord Jesus the Father has committed  all judgment. He will declare the reward of loyalty to the law of Jehovah. God  will be honored  and His government  vindicated  and glorified, and that in the presence of the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds. On the largest possible scale will the government of God be vindicated and exalted. It is not the judgment of one individual or of one nation, but of the whole world. Oh, what a change will then be made in the understanding of all created beings. Then all will see the value of eternal life.” –This Day with God, p. 296.

FOR ADDITIONAL STUDY

“Through faith the children of God obtain a knowledge of Christ and cherish the hope of His appearing to judge the world in righteousness, until it becomes a glorious expectation; for they shall then see Him as He is, and be made like Him, and ever be with the Lord. The sleeping saints shall then be called forth from their graves to a glorious immortality. When the day of deliverance shall come, then shall ye return and discern between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. When Christ shall come, it will be to be admired of all those that believe, and the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” –Faith and Works, p. 115.

 

MISSIONARY REPORT FROM THE GENERAL CONFERENCE WORLD ASSEMBLY

To be read on Sabbath, June 25, 2022

The Special Sabbath School Offering will be gathered on Sabbath, July 2, 2022

Dear brothers and sisters around the world, it is a joy for me to write to you, wishing you the greatest blessings from heaven wherever in the world the church exists. Greetings with 2 Corinthians 9:10, 11: “Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;… Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.”

“Let us not cast away our confidence, but have firm assurance, firmer than ever before. ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped us,’ and He will help us to the end.’ 1 Samuel 7:12. Let us look to the monumental pillars, reminders of what the Lord has done to comfort us and to save us from the hand of the destroyer. Let us keep fresh in our memory all the tender mercies that God has shown us–the tears He has wiped away, the pains He has soothed, the anxieties removed, the fears dispelled, the wants supplied, the blessings bestowed–thus strengthening ourselves for all that is before us through the remainder of our pilgrimage.” –Our Father Cares, p. 224.

We now have very little time to prepare for eternity. Events tell us that Jesus Christ is coming soon for His church. “The church of God below is one with the church of God above. Believers on the earth and the beings in heaven who have never fallen constitute one church. Every heavenly intelligence is interested in the assemblies of the saints who on earth meet to worship God. In the inner court of earth they listen to the testimony of the witnesses for Christ in the outer court on earth, and the praise and thanksgiving from the worshipers below is taken up in the heavenly anthem, and praise and rejoicing sound through the heavenly courts because Christ has not died in vain for the fallen sons of Adam. While angels drink from the fountainhead, the saints on earth drink of the pure streams flowing from the throne, the streams that make glad the city of our God.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 366.

Only a few days are left until the next World Assembly. As you know, the delegates from the different  countries come together  every five years to  elect new General Conference officers and make decisions concerning God’s cause worldwide. As is also our custom, we will invite the believers from all parts of the world to attend this great event and share the blessings. The location  this time is in the Americas, more specifically South America, in the beautiful country of Peru, home of the largest Union in the church. This will surely be a very special time, for after passing through the experience of the pandemic, we will remember God’s mercies on His church, as mentioned above–“the  tears He has wiped away, the pains He has soothed, the anxieties removed, the fears dispelled, the wants supplied, the blessings bestowed.”

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the General Conference is financially responsible for this event, but we want to give you the opportunity to share the blessings by giving generously to support this major activity. One of the main reasons for this offering is to cover the expenses of the delegates from countries that do not have the means to send their delegates because of their economic situations. Other expenses also need to  be covered, including  food,  travel, lodging, and additional  expenses during  the  delegates’  sessions and public meetings. Therefore, the General Conference is now asking the church and Sabbath school members, visitors, local churches, fields, and unions to make donations for the Special Sabbath School Offering that will be gathered next Sabbath. May the Lord move your heart to give generously for this work that is the most sacred on earth.

We petition  the Lord to pour His richest blessing on each field and invite you to join in prayer for this event. May it be a great blessing for all, particularly in view of the urgency of the time in which we live and the privileges that we still have. As we meet together freely, let us use every opportunity to help God’s work to grow.

May God bless His church on earth, and may we soon be with the heavenly church for all eternity. This is my wish and prayer in the Lord. Amen.

–Pastor Humberto Avellaneda B.
General Conference Vice President